Kansas Underground Doomsday Shelter Project Underway

KSAL Staff - September 12, 2013 10:48 am

A San Diego man is building what is believed to be the world’s largest subterranean doomsday resort—with amenities such as a wine bar, golf course, spa and dance floor for those waiting out the end of the world.

Construction for the 2 million-square-foot bunker is underway in the limestone caves of Atchison, Kan., where an apocalypse-adverse family in a 20-foot RV can seek shelter for a $20,000 fee (plus the cost of food).

“Hopefully, it will never be needed, but if it is, it will be priceless,” builder Robert Vicino told ABC News.

The massive complex will sit 130 feet underground and will be sealed with two-foot-thick steel and concrete doors. Vicino, who described the project as an “underground cruise ship,” said he plans to open the resort before the apocalypse so that guests can enjoy the amenities.

“We said, ‘Lets not make it just available for a catastrophe, but let’s turn it into a 24/7 resort where our members can go until the moment of truth,” he said. “You get your cake and eat it too.”

Vicino said the Kansas shelter, which has 1,500 RV spots, is already at 10 percent capacity.

“We have emergency room doctors, surgeons, bankers, lawyers — people from all aspects of life,” he said.

And although Vicino said he doesn’t know when or if doomsday will come, he said it’s important to watch for warning signs of a looming disaster.

“The key is you have to leave before it’s too late,” he said, “but if you can get there after the fact, we’ll still let you in.”